


Public Appearances

by fabricdragon



Category: British Actor RPF, Supernatural RPF, The Avengers (Loki, The Avengers RPF, Watchmen RPF, general fandom
Genre: Dark, Divorce, Drug Addiction, Dubious Consent, Emotional Manipulation, F/M, Horror, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Menace, Mind Control, Mind Games, Mind controlled sex, More tags to follow, Original Character(s), Possession, Real World/Mythic cross over, Suit Porn, Work Contains Fan(s) or Fandom(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-08
Updated: 2016-01-02
Packaged: 2018-04-25 11:31:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4958980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fabricdragon/pseuds/fabricdragon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The worst monsters are your co workers, the greatest threat is your fans;: watch your step.</p><p>Things, and people, are not always what they appear and everyone wears masks.  Some masks are more than others, however.  Set in the "real world" our characters are dealing with some distinctly  not normal things.  </p><p>This is closer to a horror work than anything.  Read the tags.<br/>IF YOU HAVE an issue with my tags, please just comment.  i do my best to tag appropriately.  This is a CROSSOVER work, where  Real People fiction meets  "characters" and myths.</p><p>Psychological work, may be triggering if you have EVER dealt with  serious manipulation or abuse.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Robert

Robert barely escaped the crowd. One of these days he was going to lose skin, despite the bodyguards that surrounded him at all times. He kept his public face on, mustn’t show fear.   They were safe enough in small numbers, harmless, charming, deferential, but in packs?

The bodyguards and aides got him safely to his rooms, or rather to the section of rooms he shared with the others. He hoped they would get away with less trouble than he did. He made a point of thanking each and every one of the guards and aides.

“Hey there, did one of those guys get you?” He looked worried at the green haired girl in his entourage. She looked pretty badly banged up, actually.

“Got shoved into a door frame when the crowd surged forward.” She said shyly. She was looking up at him happily. Poor kid was probably just thrilled he was talking to her.

“You guys did a GREAT job. Hold on just a sec? Don’t leave?” He went back to his private rooms and opened a case. He counted out one paper for each of them, and a few extra in case.

“We… we aren’t allowed to take any pay…” Said the senior guard sadly, as he looked at what Robert held in his hands, “or anything that’s available for sale here…”

“That’s ok, I know the rules, “ Robert smiled at them. “These specific photos ARE NOT available for sale, they aren’t on my autograph table, so they pass. I checked with the guest liaison too. You can have these.”

The looks of delight always made him feel better. He signed each and every one of them with care, including signing the girl’s copy, the girl who got hurt, with “ Dear Briana, Thanks for taking the bullet for me, you saved my life, RDJ “

A few of the others staggered, scrambled, or dove in to the secured wing while he was signing. Scarlet just walked in with her entourage. For some reason she got less deranged fans. He never understood that.

He sent his crew out. He was exhausted. He was heading back to his room with no further plans than falling face first on the bed when Chris grabbed his arm.

“He wanted you tonight, remember?”

Robert groaned, “Again? I’m exhausted.”

Chris glared at him. Robert wondered if Chris was happy that it wasn’t him tonight, or upset. None of them talked about it.

He was about to say something else when the hallway damned near lit up. Tom strode in waving over his shoulder at a throng of screaming fans. The door closed and Tom thanked all of his entourage, in that slightly shy voice he used.

Everyone in the hallway when he came in started coming over closer. You always wanted to be closer. Even when you didn’t WANT to want to be closer. He shooed the entourage out with their autographs and looked back at all of them as the door closed.

Robert forgot everything he had been thinking a moment ago when Tom turned that smile on him and said, “Shall we?”

They went back to Robert’s room; Tom never used his for this. This was always the awkward part, when he wasn’t sure what Tom wanted. It could be sex, or talking about something, or … things he didn’t want to think about.

Tom sprawled languidly on the bed. Damn he looked good. Not his normal interests but even he could admire the effect. Robert came over and took a deep breath. “What would you like?”

Tom cocked his head at him. “Come here.”

Robert got on the bed and stretched out next to him. Tom ran his hand through Roberts’s hair and paused with his hand on his forehead. “No.” he said taking his hand away.

“Uh, no?”

“No. First you are going to go get that bottle you’ve hidden and hand it to me, then you are going to hand over that little package that got slipped to you when you arrived, and THEN you are going to sleep alone for tonight. “ Tom’s smile lost any hint of friendliness, “I’ll see you tomorrow night, Robert. Go get them.”

Robert had frozen at the mention of the bottle, and damn near pissed himself when he mentioned the heroin _.   I wasn’t going to use it… the guy just gave it to me_ … even he didn’t believe his own thoughts. No point in saying it. It took a few minutes to be able to walk steadily to the bottle; he got the drugs quickly enough. He handed them both to Tom.

He didn’t ask how he’d known.

Tom got up lazily and walked out the door with them. As the door latched Robert started to cry. He wasn’t sure if it was relief, or misery, or both.

 

 

 

 

 


	2. Jeremy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeremy arrives late on Friday.

Jeremy put his bag down on the bed and started unpacking. He’d missed the first day, but his contract didn’t oblige him to that. It was early yet, but if he tried to go out he’d be mobbed. He didn’t want to be here.

“Hello Jeremy” Tom’s voice was scarily intimate even from the doorway. He fought hard not to spin around, not to look at him. Tom could be unpredictable, and Jeremy didn’t think he could survive the bad side tonight. He could practically feel the man on top of him even over at the door; the room just seemed bigger, or smaller, or… different somehow when Tom made an entrance.

“She’s leaving.” Jeremy sure as hell hadn’t meant to say that. It just… happened. He turned and sat down on the bed next to the suitcase, head down, waiting.

“Sonni?” Tom’s voice was soft. It didn’t reassure him; Tom’s voice could be soft as butter while he took you apart.

“Yes. The divorce is filed. It’s all over except the final paperwork.” He could see Tom’s shoes and the impeccable trouser legs come into view as he walked over and stood in front of him.

“I could distract you.” Tom put his hand on Jeremy’s head. Jeremy gulped. Yeah, yeah he could, right now he wanted him to. Anything except sitting here thinking about his marriage falling apart… fallen apart.

“Yes.” Even he could hear the defeat in his voice.

“Beg me.” Tom had his Loki voice on.

Oh, right, that fan fiction thing with Barton and Loki. Tom had been really interested in that. Jeremy honestly didn’t care right now; anything to not think. He supposed playing Submissive Barton to Dominant Loki was pretty bad, but at least he wouldn’t have to THINK.

“Please distract me… Master.” He tried to put Barton’s voice into it. He didn’t think he succeeded.

Tom sat down next to him. “That bad?”

Jeremy just nodded.

The intensity went out of the room. Tom pulled him in and hugged him. “It will be ok, Jeremy. Would you like me to stay?”

Jeremy looked up slowly. “I… guess?”

Tom always looked so friendly, but in times like this, when the intensity was gone, he really was friendly.

“It’s… you... back. Isn’t it?”

Tom just nodded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all: To the best of my knowledge Robert Downey Junior is not drinking again, nor using heroin again. I am unfortunately certain that some so called fans try to give him some. In this fiction, however RDJ is dealing with some stuff that no one should have to deal with.
> 
> secondly, Jeremy Renner and his wife had filed for divorce as of the last information i have. However i am not a celebrity stalker so i just decided that it would be "canon" here.


	3. ShowTime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Preparing for the show.  
> Saturday Morning

Robert almost fainted in relief at breakfast. Tom came out talking to Jeremy, and he didn’t notice until they were completely in the room. That meant it was just Tom: polite, goofy, friendly, shirt off your back, Tom. Everyone started talking at once. Robert realized they had all been being very quiet until then.

Chris Hemsworth, the other Chris, came up and started goofing around with Tom. Robert wondered, as he always did, if he ever saw the other Tom. No one else was ever as unguarded, anymore.

Chris Evens was looking sourly into his coffee mug.

Scarlet looked over and quietly said, “Tom?”

Tom looked over at her and looked guilty, “I am sorry, did we rattle the table? Can I get you anything?”

“No, it’s ok.” She took a breath and put a smile on her face. “Showtime, today. We’re all supposed to go on stage in costume.”

There was a massive and universal groan.

Tom smiled at them all and said, “Well if anyone else isn’t up to it, I am sure that if ‘Thor’ and ‘Loki’ put on a bit of a show they won’t pay much attention. Besides, Robert’s only costume change is a t shirt.”

“I think the guys would mind if Scarlet didn’t show up as Black Widow,” Chris Evens smirked.

She just grinned and said, “Not to worry, I have Spanx® and I know how to use them.”

Their handler came in. Nice guy, more businesslike than the usual media handler at these events. He started handing them their schedules. Robert was impressed, they were all marked out, it was listed when they had to be where (and whether it was in costume or not) and there was a code glossary for signaling to the staff that they needed a break.

Robert flipped through some of the appearance listings. “Oh Geez, they got the Supernatural fans …”

“Didn’t you see that before?” asked Hemsworth.

“Nope.” He shook his head. “Can you guys TRY not to get into too much trouble?”

“Us?” Hemsworth grinned, “Who was it that got the idea to dress Jensen and Misha up as Thor and Loki?”

“No idea. None. No one can prove a word of it. I have witnesses,” Robert said firmly.

Everyone went off to get dressed. Robert went back to his room to change into a black Sabbath T shirt, and lay out his tuxedo for tonight. While he was doing that the door opened, and Robert felt the whole room electrify. _Oh shit, and he’s ON…_

Robert held very still. “Yes, Tom?”

“I may be late tonight. Go ahead and get some sleep. I’ll wake you up.”

The room wasn’t ACTUALLY any colder when the door closed. Robert shivered anyway.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> having worked for and at a number of conventions, I can tell you that the scheduling and coordination ranges from precision to disaster.  
> Apparently this one is pretty good.


	4. Supernatural Occurrences.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saturday at the convention
> 
> Some of the Supernatural cast, and a few folks from Watchmen meet in the green room.

The morning went without incident, although he could tell that the… other… Tom occasionally made an appearance. Robert guessed that Tom didn’t want to ruin his reputation, because he never messed with the fans. Never. At least never in public, and never when anyone saw anything, so he guessed that was never.

It always got bad when they did their big public appearance, but this time was worse. Usually Tom stayed all sorts of shy and harmless in public, even when you could feel the intensity. Today it was hard to miss. There was a sort of vibration in the air around him. The fans were going to be crazed later. Robert prayed the convention had enough security. This was probably why the Avengers had had more and more trouble with their fans: Tom, the intense Tom. It revved everyone up.

Thank God the Supernatural appearances were right after them on the big stage. It helped settle things back down. Their fans were just as obsessive, but way more sedate. Hell, Misha could walk right through the convention and his main danger was being hugged to death, politely.

Robert went over and hung out with them as much as he could. He noticed a few of the others did too. Chris, the other Chris, and Tom were palling around, posing as Thor and Loki, and it was getting really CRAZY on the floor.

“Is...Is it just me, or have your fans gotten worse...?” Jensen was watching the monitor in the green room.

“No, it’s not just you. It’s gotten bad.” Jeremy looked at the wall.

Misha looked concerned. “Any idea why?”

“No.” That had been all of them: Scarlet, Jeremy, and Robert. They were the only three in the green room. In at least Robert’s case it was a lie: it had to be Tom, the intense Tom.

Jared looked over at his co-stars. “How about if we all go out to dinner after?” He meant after the big ‘cocktail party’ meet and greet Saturday night for the VIP fans, that was supposed to be dinner and never was.

There was friendly argument over where to go, before they settled on one of the places the con staff suggested. It was nearby and had a private dining room. Robert wondered if Tom would come, and if he would have settled down by then.

A man Robert didn’t know got escorted in to the green room. He looked familiar, though. The supernatural guys all yelled “Jeffrey!” and waved him over.

Jeffrey -Jeffrey Dean Morgan- got introduced around. He apparently had been the Winchester’s father on Supernatural.  There was a lot of good natured joking about the tendency of casting directors to ignore impossible age differences when casting.

Jeffrey, and some other guy named Mathew, were added to the crew going out to dinner.

Then it was the big autograph session in the late afternoon.   He was put next to Tom’s table. Tom was his usual smiling, charming, bashful self the entire time; damn near blushing when girls offered to kneel, but Robert could feel the crackles of intensity sometimes. The tension made it hard to stay calm. He had to use the codes –he called them safewords in his head- a couple times to get a break.

The green haired girl was on again; she kept getting him ice water and soda. He asked her quietly if she could look up who ‘Mathew Goode’ was. Which meant that, before they went to get changed for the VIP thing, he found out that Mathew and Jeffrey had both been in that Watchmen movie. Which was why he hadn’t known him; it wasn’t that hot a movie. Not that they hadn’t all started there.

The cocktail party was worse than he expected. It was always bad, being around this much drinking and sticking to ginger ale, but with the stress of the last couple of years it was really bad. Tom wandered over partway through the obligatory attendance time. He was damned near glowing; the air should be smoking behind him.

“No,” Tom said quietly, smiling and looking like nothing at all was wrong.

“No, what, Tom?” Robert made sure his public face was on.

Tom reached over and put a hand on his shoulder. At least that’s what anyone else would have seen. What went unnoticed was Tom taking his hand at the same time and… scratching him. Tom did some kind of weird pattern on his palm with his fingernail. Then he just walked away.

Robert did his best to forget about it. A little while later he saw Tom charming the shoes, socks, and panties off a couple of reporters. Robert didn’t think anything would come of it; far too public. He grabbed a drink from one of the waiters and had taken a sip before he realized his mistake: this wasn’t ginger ale.

He swallowed. The burn was insane; it couldn’t be that strong. It felt like it was burning a hole in his stomach. He barely made it to the bathroom. They found him in there puking his guts up what felt like hours later.

The guest liaison was relieved when Robert insisted he would be fine with a little rest.   It meant missing dinner, but the idea of dinner made his stomach churn. He went back to his room with orders for a delivery of ice and ginger ale.

When he got back to his room he did the one thing he’d been afraid to do in public: he looked at his palm where Tom had scratched him. There were lines on his palm that looked like pencil marks, or smoke.

Robert was suddenly very, very glad he was missing dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Misha could, and has, walked through a convention and not been mobbed... exactly. he just ends up with a sort of parade going along with him. politely.  
> Thats because us Supernatural fans are awesome. also this may be true
> 
> Dr Who fandom: a bunch of relatively normal people, obsessed with a weird as all fuck show   
> Sherlock fandom: a bunch of weird as all fuck people, obsessed with a relatively normal show   
> Supernatural fandom: a bunch of weird as all fuck people, obsessed with a weird as all fuck show   
> Superwholock fandom: run. quickly


	5. Chris Evans  (or fan fiction night)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris Evans POV
> 
> in which there is discussion of fan fiction. and some suit porn.  
> WARNING: this is psychologically nasty in places, and not graphic but some violence.

Chris wondered what had happened to Robert, but mostly he wondered if it meant Tom was going to change his plans. Tom hardly noticed him anymore. Oh, he was friendly enough, but he didn’t turn that insane spotlight on him much at all anymore. Some part of him knew he should be really relieved, but he wasn’t.

After the cocktail hour, or more properly, the required two hour VIP fan experience, they pretty much all took off for a real restaurant.   Chris didn’t like the way Tom kept looking at the new guys: oh he treated Jared, Misha, and Jensen pretty normally, but Jeffrey and Mathew seemed to be in for some attention. Tom was focusing that spotlight on them.

He followed Mathew to the bathroom. He didn’t know if he was going to try to warn him, or chase him off, but it didn’t matter; he couldn’t bring himself to say anything. He slunk back to the rest of them and glared into his coffee.

Tom stepped outside for some fresh air. Chris found an excuse to go after him. Tom was leaning on the railing; apparently the restaurant had a little walk around and some kind of pond. It was dark though, so all he could make out was the pond reflecting the street and building lights. He stood there not knowing what to say.

Tom spoke quietly, “You bore me, Chris.”

He flinched as though someone had struck him. “I… don’t want to… just tell me what you want!”

Tom smiled, “That’s the problem, Chris. You aren’t interesting for yourself, really, so all you’d be able to do is help me with other people.”

“If… If that’s what it takes.”

Tom strolled over to him and smiled that evil smile, the one that said he was thinking about how to skin you or something. “Really? And if I told you I wanted you to have sex with someone else, because I wanted to watch?”

Chris whimpered, “If… if that would make you happy with me.”

Tom raised an eyebrow. “What about your family, Chris, what would they say?”

Chris felt like all the air went out of him. “No… you’ve never…” he looked up at him, “Not my family. Anything but them.”

Tom smirked at him, “So… you do have limits after all.” Tom walked up casually and took him by the arm. He started walking Chris back inside. “I’ll talk to you about it, Chris, but right now I have something better to do.”

Chris had to go back to the men’s room to wash his face off and pull himself together. When he came back, Tom was entertaining the table with tales of the latest fan fiction he had found. Correction: he and Jensen appeared to be playing ‘top this one’.

“So Castiel gets flogged by this demon chick, and gets a taste for it. “ Jensen was howling with laugher and grinning over at Misha.

“Wait, let me guess,” Misha’s eyes twinkled, “then the boys have to take turns being his dom to keep him out of trouble?”

“Got it in one!” all three of them howled and fell over each other.

The other Chris, Hemsworth, proceeded to tell them about a slash fic he had read that apparently involved Thor, Tony, Barton, and Natasha... with a tied up Captain America gagged in a corner for being a spoilsport.

Tom smiled over at Chris, “Oh, I don’t know, I suspect that the good captain would have some… unexpected interests. What do you think?”

Chris tried hard not to flush. “Oh, totally a sub.”

Jared nodded, “Yeah, most of the fan girls would agree, judging from their writing...”

Tom smirked, “Well, some of the most unexpected ones I found are from Watchmen.”

“What?” smiled Mathew, “Night owl and _who_?” he hooted like an owl.   Everyone cracked up.

Tom grinned, “Oh, no… not at all.” He was drawing little designs on his napkin with a pen. “Adrian – Ozymandius- and the Comedian.”

“OH, you have GOT to be kidding me!” Jeffrey looked stunned.

“Oh no, not at all… here I’ll write down a few titles, some of them were pretty good. Of course some of them were just weird,” Tom said casually.

Chris watched Tom tear the napkin in half, right through the doodles, and write webpages on both. He handed half the napkin to Jeffrey and half to Mathew.

Chris saw the looks on Scarlet and Jeremy’s faces: they thought something was up too. Chris just looked back down at his hands.

The rest of the night alternated between “No shit, there I was.” stories and the usual shop talk. Misha was the first to call it a night. Most of the rest followed suit pretty quickly.

Chris noticed that there seemed to be some tension between Mathew and Jeffrey. He caught up with Tom and said quietly, “You did something to them, didn’t you?”

“Silence until we return to your room,” Tom said without breaking his smile.

Chris shut up. All he could do, even at the security staff, was wave sort of sheepishly and cough. None of the others looked at him directly as Tom steered him to Chris’s room.

Well, except the other Chris: HE slapped him on the back and said “Don’t DRINK so much!”   Tom assured him that he would take care of getting Chris put to bed. Chris couldn’t even say ‘Goodnight’.

After they got into the room and the door closed, Chris gasped as though he’d just had a gag pulled out of his mouth.

Tom pushed him down onto the bed. He stood there, smiling down at him. “So, anything but family?”

Chris just lay on the bed and nodded.

Tom started slowly taking off that impeccable grey suit. He managed to make taking off the tie look like a strip tease. He slipped the jacket off his shoulders and Chris moaned before he could stop himself. Tom slowly unbuttoned each button on his shirt, and then re-buttoned it before he folded it and laid it down carefully on the chair.

Chris started to say something, but Tom just held a finger to his lips. This time at least Chris thought he COULD talk, if he wanted to.

Tom managed to make getting out of his dress shoes into an art. He slid the pants off, folded them perfectly, and laid them with the rest of his suit. Then he slid off his socks, rolled them, and put them in his shoes. He pulled off his undershirt in one movement and laid it over the chair. Then, balancing with one hand against the chair, he pulled off his underwear and folded THAT up with everything else. When he was done, Tom walked back over to the bed.

Chris dared an appreciative whimper.

“Strip, quickly,” Tom smiled at him, “and I want your belt and tie.”

He stripped as fast as he could, shaking as he handed over the belt and tie. Tom tied Chris’ hands behind his back with the tie, and slipped the belt around his throat. Tom toyed with the other end of the belt in his hand. Chris was trying to steel himself to do whatever it was Tom wanted. Anything, as long as it got his attention back.

“Well, it’s a bit trite…” Tom said with a shy smile, which then turned into his crazy in-character smile. “Kneel.”

Chris knelt.   Tom stood with his crotch at face level, and Chris hesitantly leaned forward to start licking, when Tom said, “Not yet…”

Tom put his hand on Chris’ forehead. The entire room suddenly seemed far too warm. Chris felt his mind clear for the first time in over a year. He jerked back against the makeshift leash.

Tom was smiling down at him, “So, Christopher Robert Evans, you can choose to serve me, willingly, absolutely – except for your family- doing whatever I ask, whenever I ask it, in which case I can reward you in ways that make my previous attentions pale in comparison. Or not.”

Chris was still struggling mentally. He remembered everything, but he couldn’t understand why he hadn’t been alarmed, why he hadn’t tried harder. Why couldn’t he say anything, to anyone, about the change in Tom, or what was happening to them all? A sharp tug at the belt around his neck brought him back to his current place, kneeling on the hotel floor in front of Tom.

“Choose.”

He licked his lips, “What’s the ‘or not’ part?”

Tom shook his head. “Choose.”

Chris looked up at Tom, “What… what kind of reward?” He hoped he could ask that, at least.

“Almost anything, really.” Tom cocked his head. “MY attentions, of course, which you already know can be spectacular…”

Chris moaned as he remembered sensation roaring through him.

“Nearly anyone you want, as long as it doesn’t cause problems for my plans.” Tom looked thoughtful and walked to the bed, half dragging Chris after him. “I’m afraid that better movie roles can be surprisingly difficult; I can work on it.” Tom sat down and pulled Chris to a position between his knees. “Revenge, of course, if you wish it on anyone. That’s far simpler.”

Chris stared at nothing. “And you want my soul, don’t you?” He’d had a sudden certainty that this was the devil.

Tom laughed; it was such a genuine laugh that Chris looked up to see Tom wiping at his eyes. “Your soul? What a tattered little thing. No, I don’t want your soul: I want your life; your obedience; your willing service. Whatever becomes of your soul afterwards is none of my concern.”

“Who are you? You aren’t Tom.”

Tom grinned. “Choose.”

Chris remembered how good it felt when he paid attention to him; he remembered how awful it felt when he didn’t. He thought about guaranteed safety for his family. He remembered how all it took was Tom saying ‘silence’ and he couldn’t speak at all.

“I’ll… I’ll serve you. My family isn’t to be touched; in fact, if they can be protected that would be better.”

“Stay here.” Tom got up and stepped over him and walked out of the room, nude.

 _It wasn’t like anyone would bother him_ , Chris thought. He stayed kneeling, facing the bed, wondering what he had just done, until Tom came back in.

Tom had a knife. It looked like one of the prop knives from the movie, but smaller.

“A fan gifted this to me; isn’t it lovely?” He sliced through the tie holding Chris’s hands behind his back. “It’s also very sharp.”

Chris had learned; he kept his hands behind his back until he was told to move them.

Tom sat back down in front of him. “Now, put your hands between my knees.” Chris did. “I am going to cut you, and you will have to keep yourself quiet.”

Chris just shuddered.

Tom held out the knife. “Do you swear to obey me, serve me, and guard me? To advise me as you are able? In exchange for this service to be given the rewards you have asked for, that you desire, and that I have offered?”

Chris still vaguely hoped that this was one more horrible joke, but he wasn’t counting on it. “Yes. I swear.”

“Kiss the blade then.” He did. Tom pushed a sock into his mouth, which confused him until Tom started carving up his arms with the knife. He screamed into the sock until he passed out.

When he woke up he looked around in a panic for Tom. He was gone: his clothes were gone. He suddenly realized that his arms didn’t hurt; it was more like they were bit pins and needles from lying on them wrong.

He stared at his unmarked arms for a long time, and then at the bloodied sheets.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	6. Lessons from Labyrinth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> referenced non con.

Robert woke up early. Something felt different; clearer somehow. He got up and walked out to the common area. Scarlet was sitting there, staring out a window.

“Um... this is going to sound odd, but...” he started.

“I woke up. Something felt different,” she said quietly.

“Yeah,” said Jeremy walking up, “me too.”

They just sat or stood there for a short time. Suddenly, the other Chris came skidding out.

“Umm… Hey... guys? Not to weird you out or anything, but…” He blinked. “Hey, why are you all up?”

Scarlet suddenly blurted out, “Haven’t you noticed anything odd about Tom at all?!” and then her hand flew up over her mouth. “I said that! I actually SAID that!”

Robert stared at her. “HOW can you say that? I could never say that! I mean he draws on my palm and suddenly I can’t drink any… alcohol… without…”

Jeremy stared at them all and took a deep breath. “He wanted to role play fan fic with me, but then he just was normal Tom again…”

The three of them stared at each other. Then all three of them looked at the other Chris.

Robert asked him incredulously, “You KNEW?”

Chris just raised an eyebrow. “Duh.”

Scarlet damn near shrieked, “But you HUGGED him! You joke with him, I mean… voluntarily…” She suddenly stopped. “It was… wasn’t it?”

Chris pulled up a chair and sat down facing backwards on it. “Tom was one of my best friends, you think I wouldn’t notice?”

Robert stared at him some more. “You… act normal. Tom doesn’t bother you.”

Chris looked off at the window. “TOM doesn’t bother anyone. Whoever that is sometimes, it’s not Tom.”

Everyone knew that was true, although Robert tried to protest, “Sure looks like him.”

Chris shrugged, “Tom’s in there. You know sometimes it’s just him, and sometimes it isn’t. I... I think he’s in there most of the time, but he can’t talk about it either. So I started just pretending it was him all the time.” He looked up at them. “Funny thing is? Even when it’s not Tom, he mostly acts like he IS Tom around me now. I mean all the time. Even when it’s… whoever.”

Robert gulped. “Ok, good for you. I don’t think I can manage it. Intense guy is intense.”

Scarlet frowned. “He mostly left me alone after I gave up.”

Robert looked at her. “He didn’t seem to be bothering you much anymore.”

“He… he stopped with the fan fic thing when I didn’t care. Sat down and then… it was friendly Tom again,” Jeremy said, and then rubbed his lips like he still couldn’t believe he could talk.

The other Chris was looking puzzled at them all. “You think… you think he’s just … I dunno, reacting?”

“What?” said Robert in utter confusion, “Reacting to what?”

He heard an indrawn breath from Scarlet, “That’s it! It’s like that damned movie.”

Everyone looked over at her.

“It’s like that movie, Labyrinth…” She looked at their expressions and rolled her eyes. “No. The old one, with David Bowie.”

Chris brightened up, “OH! ‘You remind me of the babe!’ The one with the Muppets?”

“Yeah, “ Scarlet started talking faster, “At the end, David Bowie.. uh.. . Whatever … he says to the girl, ‘You cowered before me, I was frightening…’ and goes on about how everything he is doing is just… playing to her. Giving her what she EXPECTS.”

“Say WHAT?” Jeremy stared at her. “Like we WANT this?”

“Shit, no! I didn’t want any of it,” she snapped at him, “but at this point we expect it. He’s not playing with us much anymore after we stopped giving him a reaction. Look at Chris… Evans… I mean he hardly even looks at him anymore….”

They all looked at each other, then in the direction of Chris’ room. They ran over; Chris –Hemsworth- got there first. The door wasn’t locked.

Robert’s first thought was suicide. There was blood, and blood on white sheets always looked like a lot of blood. Chris was lying on the bed, despite the blood. There was a sudden gasp from someone else. Hemsworth went over and rolled Chris over in the bed.

Hemsworth said, “He’s ok!” sounding sort of surprised at the same time as Chris started moving.

Chris sat up slowly. He looked down at his arms as though he had been having a nightmare.

Robert said, “I’d say it was all a dream, Chris, but… where did the blood come from?”

Chris looked up at them sort of slowly, he looked dazed. “From my arms. I saw it.”

It must have looked kind of funny, everyone staring at the sheets and then at his arms, but finally Robert said, “Your arms look fine…”

Chris laughed sort of hysterically. “Yeah, now.”

Hemsworth looked at him thoughtfully. “Did Tom… the guy who isn’t Tom…. do that?”

Chris just shuddered and nodded.

“We can TALK about it,” said Scarlet. “Suddenly we can TALK…” She took a deep breath, “He had sex with me, I didn’t want to, but it was…”

“Incredible?” finished Robert bitterly. “Best sex you ever had even though you hated it?”

Scarlet stared at them. Robert realized every single guy there except maybe Hemsworth was nodding, flinching, or flushed.

Chris suddenly snarled at him, “What are you complaining about, he still LIKES you.”

Robert’s next clear memory was of a couple of the other guys pulling him off of Chris. “LIKES me? You think I want him anywhere near me? Are you INSANE?”

Chris sat up from the bed Robert had knocked him back down onto. He glared at Robert. “Of course you do. Your whole world lights up when he smiles at you, it’s all grey when he isn’t ON at you. Even having him hurt you is better than being ignored.”

Robert wanted to kill him. He wanted to find a heavy object and bash his face in until he didn’t have a mouth.

He wanted him to be wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "everything I've done , I've done for you" if you haven't seen labyrinth, go watch the last scene with Jared/david bowie and Sarah  
> also you have a deprived movie history. go watch it.
> 
> but seriously, most of us have some fantasies that are ... FINE.. as long as its fantasy, or just play acting. Fantasies that were never meant to see the light of day.


	7. Say My Name!

Chris Hemsworth suddenly dropped Robert. “Tom!” he yelped, turning and running out of the room.

Chris Evans looked stunned and then tore after him.

“Umm…” said Jeremy, “Do you think it’s safe?”

“No.” Scarlet said firmly.

Robert sighed, “It’s not like being in the next room is safer.”

None of them could argue that, so they went after the first two.

Tom was lying on his bed, nude. One of the Chrises had apparently just thrown a sheet over part of him. He was clearly very ill: pale, sweating, feverish looking.

“Hi…” he said weakly as they hesitantly came in. “…I think…. I think this is bad.”

Chris Evans was trying to get him to drink some water. Hemsworth was mostly fretting. Finally Jeremy broke the silence from the rest of them.

“So... um… we can... I guess... talk about stuff. Can you?” Jeremy kicked himself, he sounded so stupid.

“Sort of? I guess?” Tom said weakly, “I’m usually somewhat aware of things. Last night though, it’s all gone. That usually means ...he… was doing something extra. “

Hemsworth came in soothingly, “Well he’s gone now, and we can all talk so I guess he isn’t coming back…”

“Oh… no, Chris…” Tom said sort of hesitantly, “I can feel it. He isn’t gone. But… but... I think. .. I may be dying, actually.”

Both Chrises reacted badly. Hemsworth was shaking his head, “No. No you aren’t, we’ll just call an ambulance…”

Chris Evans grabbed Tom’s hand. “No!”

Jeremy didn’t think all the ‘no’ in the world was going to help. He could see Scarlet starting to look concerned, although she tried to hide it. Robert was making a sort of strangled noise in the back of his throat.

Then the pitch of Tom’s voice changed; just a little. It wasn’t the same as before, but it… wasn’t Tom, somehow.

“That’s… a bit… better.” Tom was smiling the ghost of a smile in the direction of Chris Evans, and then his eyes tracked over to the three of them in the doorway. He looked back at Chris, “Apparently overdid it a bit last night.”

Jeremy felt a chill straight through to the bone. He wished some part of him wasn’t also relieved.

Scarlet was muttering something that sounded like “Kill it with fire.”

Chris Evans looked like he was going to cry on him. He was pressing Tom’s –not Tom’s- hand into his forehead. Tom moved his hand up and put it on Chris’ head. It was weird.

Tom looked amused at Scarlet. “That… wouldn’t work.”

Jeremy wondered how someone could look that terrifyingly self-possessed, and dangerous, lying naked in a bed covered in sweat.

“Chris, tell the staff that I will do a special stage appearance, today, just for the fans that stayed through Sunday.”

Evans took off with a determined look on his face. Jeremy and Robert had to jump to avoid being bowled over.

Chris Hemsworth frowned, “No way are you up to that.”

Tom replied in his more usual voice, “I don’t think I have a choice.”

“What… what about us?” Robert voiced the question Jeremy had been thinking.

Tom looked tiredly at Robert, “I have no idea. You could try to ask him. I’m rather astonished I can even talk about it.” Then his eyes crinkled slightly. “Why, Robert, what did you have in mind?”

“Now THAT’S the other Tom…” Robert said nervously. Jeremy wondered how he could be so sure.

Tom lay back on the bed quietly until Chris got back. Chris proceeded to get out Tom’s Loki costume and sort of rope them all into helping to get him up and dressed. It was surreal. Tom looked way better than he had when they got to the room, but he still looked like he was going to fall over if you didn’t support him.

“I’ve grown rather fond of this outfit,“ Tom said into the mirror, “ except the helmet, of course.”

“What about us?” Robert repeated.

Tom looked amused at him. “What about you?”

Jeremy blurted out, “Scarlet said it’s like Labyrinth…” Scarlet gave him a glare worthy of Black Widow.

Tom just raised an eyebrow, and Jeremy- still kicking himself- continued babbling, “This scene where the magical guy says to the girl that he was frightening because she cowered… it was all for her, all what she expected.”

Scarlet, apparently frustrated with their inability to get it, shoved her phone at Tom. Jeremy could hear bits of the video playing:

‘I have been generous up until now, but I can be cruel….

Everything you wanted I have done….

…You cowered before me I was frightening, I have re ordered time….

….I am exhausted from living up to your expectations’

Tom watched the video with a look that was hard to describe. It seemed to be equal parts amazement and amusement. He looked up at Scarlet and smiled an entirely UN-Tom like smile.

“Then to quote another movie at you…” he breathed out at her. “’Clever girl…’”

 

Everyone went and got into their costumes.   Chris Evans spoke quietly to Tom about whatever they were doing, and glared at Jeremy. Eventually Chris walked over to him.

“Jeremy? Tom wants you to do the intro. He says it suits better. You do ‘controlled Hawkeye’ introducing Loki.” Chris was giving him this look that made Jeremy very nervous. “Don’t fuck it up.”

Jeremy might have fainted, but Robert looked over at him and deadpanned “No pressure”; somehow that helped.

The crowd was revved up as always. Even back stage you could feel it. It seemed to help Tom: he looked a LOT better. He smiled and rubbed a finger over his lips thoughtfully, “We shall have to talk, after this. I dislike debts.”

Then Jeremy was on.

“I am here to introduce your new KING!”

The crowd went insane. Jeremy went on with the speech, glancing back stage when he could. Tom was looking better by the second back there; it was almost scary. When they had gotten back stage, he’d looked like a man recovering from the flu; now, he looked ON. Chris was looking at him with an eerily worshipful look.

Tom grinned and said, “I think that’s my cue…” and walked out. Everyone followed him, like iron filings after a magnet. Jeremy wasn’t sure they were supposed to follow him, but he was pretty sure they didn’t have any choice.

Tom smiled and the air fairly crackled. “Say my NAME!”

“Loki! Loki! Loki! Loki! LOKI! LOKI! LOKI!” It went on and on, getting louder and louder.

Tom held up a hand and the crowd stilled. Jeremy thought to himself that if he had ever had any doubts, he didn’t now: that was what real power looked like. Everyone’s attention was absolutely locked on Tom.

“I have been cruel, but I can be generous…”

Jeremy heard Scarlet’s quiet gasp. Oh, right, that was like the reverse of the Labyrinth speech, wasn’t it?

“My brother, his allies, and I have come to an agreement…” The crowd cheered.

“Indeed, shall this be the beginning of greatness! A new world built upon the ashes of the old! Forget your past allegiances and we shall create a new beginning!”

Jeremy had no idea how he could even be heard over the roar of the crowd, but you could hear every word.

“Behold, The Avengers! Your Champions!” Everyone startled out of the shock and waved, or took a bow. Hemsworth raised his hammer.

“Now… my followers… Kneel before me, and SAY MY NAME!”

The people in front began kneeling and then the people behind them, until the entire crowd was on their knees. Everyone was screaming ‘LOKI!” until they were hoarse. With a suddenly flip of his world view Jeremy noticed that that included the reps from Disney.

Tom stood there, grinning his Loki smile at the crowd, positively basking in the adoration. Being on their knees didn’t stop people from taking pictures; the flashes were blinding. Eventually, Tom turned with a flourish and they all walked triumphantly off stage.

Robert looked like he wanted to grab Tom, but settled for raising his voice. “Ok, you’re back, you look fine, now will you tell us what the HELL is going on?”

Scarlet was just staring at him, “Loki…” she breathed.

Everyone kind of stopped and stared… except Tom. He just grinned at her.

“Clever girl…”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	8. Your time is very precious

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> need i remind people that Loki is an unreliable narrator...

They got back to their rooms, somehow. The handful of reporters that had stayed through Sunday were all screaming questions at them; luckily, Robert knew how to handle them all: he cracked a bunch of jokes, said “great idea” whenever they asked him about any specific rumors, and told them absolutely nothing.

“Ok, next time the hotel has to provide a moat and a bar on the door.” Robert was panting as they finally locked themselves into their wing. He looked wistfully at the mini bar, but remembered his roiling stomach all too well.

“Ok, spill.” He rounded on Tom. “You… not-Tom… who are you?”

Not-Tom just smiled, “I believe our dear Scarlet already answered that.”

There were a brief few moments where everyone tried to talk at once. Robert finally lost his temper and got up on one of the chairs. “Shut the fuck UP for a second!”

“You are very much like him, you know.” Not-Tom was just smiling fondly at Robert.

“Like who?” Robert snarled.

“Stark. You remind me of him immensely– except you managed to give up the drugs and the drinking, and I suspect you have a better sense of self-preservation…”

And just like that, the room was silent.

Very, very quietly, someone started to swear.

Robert finally managed to get his voice to work, “You’re telling me that Tony Stark–Iron Man– is REAL?”

Not-Tom nodded.

“Are the REST of them?!”

“More or less.” He looked thoughtful. “Now, at least.”

Scarlett narrowed her eyes, “What do you mean ‘now, at least’?”

“It’s complicated, but I can try to explain…” He looked around. “Order in food; this will take a while.”

\---

Eventually they were holed up in the common room with firm orders that nothing short of a hotel evacuation was to disturb them, a pile of food, and a lot of drinks. Out of courtesy to Robert, no one had anything alcoholic.

Not-Tom –Loki?– started, “I suppose it’s traditional to begin with, ‘Once upon a time’-“

Mark Ruffalo snorted and said, “Different series.”

“Indeed. I enjoy it, actually.” He shrugged. “The simple fact is that once, ages ago, there were gods. You know many of their names, of course, and some of their stories: Loki, Thor, Odin… these are some of them; Bast, Isis, Horus… the list goes on. MOST, but not all, of them reflect real entities.”

He grinned, “But we fell into a trap, you see. As you have noticed, our power is derived from belief. Without enough belief, our power wanes and fades.”

“The Norse gods never really lost all their belief…” Mark began.

“No, but we lost so much; you have no idea. We USED to have blood sacrifices, people slain in our names, belief that the dead came to rest with us. There were festivals and… you see, people spent the most important thing they HAD on us.”

“Blood?”

“No, time.”

“I don’t get it.”

“You are MORTAL. If you spent three days to prepare for a festival to honor the gods, that’s… that’s insane! Three days of us being the center of your world, being the most important thing you have! Then usually a day of festival, and then… oh god, the sex...” he trailed off longingly.

“Uh… what?” Jeremy asked.

“Sex. It’s almost tangible power. Look at what one of the old festivals entailed: days of preparation, call it foreplay if you like, thinking about it, building toward it, planning, gathering supplies… and then a great feast! Blood, animals- and sometimes people- being killed, the things you had worked for all season being brought forward, people crying out for our blessings, for protection, telling our stories…

“THAT was movie night back then: the stories.”

He had a distant look in his eyes as he continued, “And then a bonfire: there was always a bonfire. Same as you do now, usually, and then sneaking off to find a lover, or going home with your wife, or finding your comrade, and having sex, thinking about our stories, thinking about the gods.

“You sacrificed your time and attention to us. And then, so slowly that it wasn’t noticeable at first, it stopped.”

“When the Christians came?” Chris Hemsworth asked.

“Oh, that was a symptom. But even if we changed names that... that wouldn’t have done it.”

“Changed names?”

He shrugged, “Old gods become new saints, or angels, or get worshipped in secret… so?”

“But the Norse gods ARE still worshipped!” Scarlett blurted out.

“Yes,” he smiled thinly. “Some. All too often by fools who call on a name, but don’t KNOW anything. They say ‘Thor’ but they don’t MEAN it, and they just paint us with their petty notions of bloodlines and purity. There’s little enough meat to feast on in THAT worship.”

He sighed, “Every now and then, you find a true worshipper of the Gods: it’s so rare. The ones who plan their days gathering supplies, who spend time pleasuring themselves to raise power, chanting our names, who remember us daily to spill mead…”

He looked lost in thought. Most of the rest of the actors looked like they might die of embarrassment, except Chris Evans who looked rapt.

“Ooookaaay…” Robert said. “Midgard to Loki… so? How does this end up with YOU here and us… um... stuck?”

He laughed, “Because their belief is strong enough to call me back.”

There were blank looks all around.

Not- Tom/Loki grinned. “Did you know I was a fire god? That I had red hair? So did Thor, sometimes, but that’s beside the point.”

“Yes, actually, I read up on the Norse myths.” Mark said.

“Did you know the Vanir Gods were once a COMPLETELY separate faith?”

“What?” from some; “Yes” from others.

“The Vanir were followed by one people, the Aesir by another… their followers went to war and eventually merged. The Gods merged as well.” He grinned, “Some of the rest of us came in from further afield, as the followers saw other gods… Loki was created from fragments, some of them further East. But as worship was brought in-“

“Syncretistic, when a God gets adopted and sort of associated with-“

“Becomes part of the new pantheon,” he nodded. “So I did. Most peoples have fire Gods. Most people have trickster Gods. Loki was… foreign. It’s why he never quite fit into the myths.” He grinned, “Why I kept getting the shit detail.”

Everyone looked at each other. Hemsworth spoke up, “So the reason Loki is always getting into trouble, or getting horribly punished?”

“I was a foreign religion, brought in from outside, unsuccessfully merged with their own. It happens.”

“We’re forgetting something important here!” Robert shouted. “Don’t make me get back up on a chair!”

“What?”

“WHY ARE YOU HERE?”

“As I said, the belief was strong enough to bring me back– me, more than the rest, although I suspect Thor may be close to making a breakthrough. I finally have enough worship. People spend days out of their weeks. They think of me, they have images of me they worship, they burn candles to me and set bonfires, and they spend more time and money on worship than anyone but the priests used to do!” He grinned, “And they have sex in my name. A lot of it.”

“Oh my God, you mean the MOVIES!”

“No, I mean the fans. How much does cosplay cost in time and money? How many who wouldn’t bend their knee to ANYONE knelt to me today? How many are, even now, having sex, alone or with others, with MY name in their minds, on their lips, with visions of me in their dreams?”

He smiled, “It’s funny, you know.” He reached out and grabbed Robert and pulled him onto his lap; Evans growled in jealousy, and Loki ran a hand down his neck and back. “The fan fiction writers have it very right: while Loki was married to women, and had children, he-I- was the god of gay sex.”

Robert had his eyes shut and was trying to ignore the fact that Tom– not-Tom– made him want … everything. “Seriously?” he managed to pant out. “You’re doing this to me because you’re the God of gay sex?”

“It was, in fact, one of my titles,” he smirked. “But you know the old adage… there is NO such thing as bad publicity– especially for a God.”

Jeremy said, “Let him go, Tom.”

Surprisingly, Tom did.

Jeremy continued, “You said Bob was ‘like Tony Stark’.”

Robert blinked, he hadn’t... _oh shit, he’d forgotten about that._ “How can there be a real Tony Stark? That doesn’t make sense.” Robert felt like the ground was a very long way down.

“That world started existing when enough people believed it existed. Thor managed to hang on, with more worship from you mortals, than I… I had flickers and moments of consciousness, here and there, but I began to come back when the comics started publishing about me; when people began writing fan fiction about me, and so on. It was weak, but… there.

“After the movies? Suddenly, I had power again.” He smiled, “And YES, suddenly what you would call another dimension came FULLY into existence, and the Avengers stopped flickering in and out of reality and came fully into being.”

Scarlett stared. “Black Widow?”

“More real than ever she was when the comics alone existed, although the majority of the belief has her lover to Clint Barton.”

“Then aren’t you DEAD?” Mark asked, plaintively

“You mean on the throne of Asgard?” Loki smirked.

“Err… yeah, I guess.”

“I am, but I am also stripped of my powers and sent to Earth to mend my ways, and fall in with the Avengers… and I am also escaped after the Avengers movie, and playing games and machinations, and taking lovers from among you…” He laughed, and there was NOTHING safe about that laugh. “Everyone knows that I exist, everyone knows I have power, everyone knows I have magic, everyone knows my NAME, but, as befits a trickster, my stories are mutable….

“and I intend to keep it that way.”

 

 

 


End file.
